Arch-support for the human foot



M. KAPPNER.

ARCH SUPPORT FOR THE HUMAN FOOT.

APPLICATTON FILED APR. 26, T920.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

mx KAPPNER, or CINCINNATL' o IIIo'.

ARCH-SUPPORT FOR THE HUMAN FOOT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed April 26, 1920. S erialf No 373,611.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MAX KAPPNER, a citizen of the United States, residing. at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohlo, have invented new and useful Improvements in Arch Supports for the -Human Foot, of which the following is a .phalanges (or toe section),.takes the weight of the body upon the first and third of these groups, flexibly connected by the arch of the middle group. The various small bones of these sections are held together by musculargligaments, and the entire system is underlaid and connected fore and aft by .layers of muscular tissue attached primarily to the os calcis, terminating forward in flattened tendons connected to the phalanges and the forward bones of the metatarsal group.

These muscles furnish the motive power giving various motions to the foot in relation to the socketed connection with the tibia or leg bone. This relation is such that, practically the greater part of the weight of the body is carried into the foot structure and concentrated normally at the high point of the arch, thus giving a flexible or yieldtions of use.

From various causes, the connecting'tissues of the arch-bones become weakened by over-strain, resulting in what is knownas the breaking down of the arch, allowing the foot to turn at theankle and sag downward at the inside of the instep,a condition developing into typical .flat foot with attendant evils of tired and aching feet, weak anklesfcramped toes, etc., seriously impairing the ability to walk.

'The common attempt to prevent or remedy this condition by inserting a simple piece of elastic sheet metal in the shoe-sole; or,

worse,' a built up and unyielding arch support,is based upon ignorance of the actual conditions and often'aggravates rather than relieves the evil.

My invention isintended to provide an external appliance in the nature of an artificial support, adapted to the conditions found to exist,'by its form and structure and mode of use, susceptible of slight manipulation to suit the conditions of the immediate case and furnish an efficient artificial support tendingto relieve the evils of weakened foot-arch and to provide conditions tending to complete restoration.

To this end the device consists of an artificial arch-support for the human foot, of suit able shapeapproximately as herein illustrated;adapted to bear upward against the bottom of the foot over the space occupied by the metatarsal'and forward part of the tarsal bones as shown in Fig. 3. The

support is arched slightly lengthwise and also in part crosswise,'to conform to the natural curvatures of the foot; and is provided at one side with an upwardly curved edge portion to support the instep, and is preferably perforated with air apertures to allow a circulation of: air sucked in'and expelled by the. movements occasioned by walking. It is preferably also formed with slight depressions at the bearing points of contact with the earth, especially of the eu- 'boid,the internal cuneiforn1,and the scaph- -oid bones, and thus relieve any abnormal pressure and secure a properly cushioned seat for the foot upon the underlying muscular tissue with equalized and even pressure,

"supporting all arches of the same. mg resistance to lmpact under proper cond1- My. invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the bony structure of the human foot showing the under side as it would appear on being lifted fromthe plate shown in the next figure and turned back; I Fig. 2 a plan view of the artificial support of the arch of foot with dotted lines indicating structural features to be explained;

Fig. 3 a side elevation of the foot resting upon a plane surface and showing the artificial support in position relating thereto;

Fig. 4 a diagrammatic cross section of the ture of a left human foot'designated by the reference letter A in Fig. 1, 1S'Sl1OWI1 1n relation to the arch support B, Fig. 2, as thoughlifted off the latter and turned over backward. The support B is cut from an elastic material preferably sheet metal, of the general form indicated, to cover the under side of the foot-arch formed by the associated metatarsal and cuneiform bones; and is slightly arched fore and aft to conform to the natural arch of the foot in normal condition.

At the instep side of the foot, the support B is rounded upward as at b to give especial support to the instep and prevent the tendency 'to sag downward as hereinbefore mentioned.

The upward bend thus formed is supplemented in a slight upward bend on a longitudinal line within the general body of the plate constituting a trough extending rearwardly from the front edge of the plate B beneath the firstmetatarsal and dying out at the rear of the scaphoid bone. This trough, being independent of the general cross-curvature of the plate B and having a sharply recurved inner wall, serves, by its lateral contact beneath. and against both sides of the first metatarsal internal cuneiform and scaphoid bones, to hold the supporting plate in proper contact relation with the foot. At the contact projections of the bones named, in said trough, shallow socketlike depressionscl (Z are provided. These depressions simply emphasize at certain points thefgeneral hollow of the trough in'which they arecontained. At the opposite side of the plate B a somewhat deeper and larger socket-like depression d is pro vided for the cuboid bone. There is thus constituted a system of support underlying the 0s calcis and extending and having its greatest effect in the tarsus, extending also well beneath the metatarsus group, but terminating behind the phalangeal jointures. At the outer side the support is continued longitudinally beneath the fifth metatarsal with the principal bearing in the cuboid socket d The general area of support thus includes the central and cross-arching of the plate curvatures beneath the bony system; and gives equal and elastic support to all parts. 7 V

In walking, the pressure of the foot upon the supporting arch is intermittent, fre-\ quently to the extent of relieving actual contact pressure; and, in order to utilize this as a means of ventilation between the under surface of the foot and the support B the latter is punctured with numerous holes 0 through which-air may be thus drawn and expelled. The introduction of air in this manner tends to relieve the heat and moistureincident to prolonged contact in this condition, and assists nature in the restoration of the ligament functions'of the connecting tissues of the bony structure.

A further feature of the invention recognizes the importance of adapting the arch structure to a surface of contact with the foot in which a uniformity of foot-pressure may be attained, spread uniformly over the bony contact surface cushioned by the underlying muscular system. To this end shallow depressions d are-provided, located to accommodate bony protuberances found to exist, so as to relieve the concentration of pressure otherwise caused, and

spread the same over the surrounding tissue. These depressions are easily produced by 1 means of a small peemng hammer and anvll or otherwise, as required. The outer. edge of the plate B including a narrow margin .is turned slightly. downward for the double purpose of adding to the resilient stiffness and also forming an edge-contact line for holding the plate against the sole of, the shoe and by consequence in proper relation to the foot.

To further hold the device inits proper position'in relation to the'foot, I provide a sharp pointed projection at the rear, preferably by cuts in the material, in V-shape,

and bent to a vertical position downward. The weight of the foot upon the .os 'ca'lcis bone forces the projection into the material of the shoe sole and thus retains it in proper position in the shoe. V

I may alsoemploy where necessary ;or desirable a small piece of metal g aflixed :to the device .B. as a chord jto 'the' 'arc formed by the arch,as shown'in Figs; 3

and 5; and where desirable, also, in reliev- 1 7 ing the impact of the 0s calcisin walking,"

I may attach-a small cushion of. resilient material at'the under side of the plate.B conforming to the curvature of the rear end of the plate as indicated by dotted lines in M Fig. 2 at f. This also assists" in the circulatlon of air in the manner heieinbefore indicated. i 7

I claim' and; desire to securelby Letters Patent of the UnitedYStates: i

A foot-arch support for the human foot consisting of a somewhat flexible plate conformed in general outline. to cover the underside of the normalarched portion of the foot and rest at its ends upon the ex f ternal shoe sole, having a bent up inner side of .the plate. extending into and forming a narrow trough with a swaged-up portion of the plate as a rest and seat for the downward my hand in presence of two subscribing witprojections of the rear-enlargement of the nesses. first metatarsal, the internal cuneiform, and the 'scaphoid bones; and having a socket de- 5 pression near the outer side of the plate for Witnesses:

seating the cuboid bone. CARL PHARES,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set NORMA D. BERGER.

MAX KAPPNER. 

